Vacaville mountain biking team making a name for itself

A joined passion for competitive mountain bike racing between two Vacaville natives has guided a relatively new team to the state championships.

At the helm of the Vacaville Dirt Dogs is Vacaville High School English Teacher Aja Cook and Justin English, manager of Ray's Cycle in Vacaville. The two coaches have known each other since they were in school together at Vacaville High School and are both 1997 graduates.

Together they coach nine students from the community from two different high schools, Vacaville High School and Vacaville Christian High School, however, all students in the community are invited to be a part of the team.

"It's a great group of kids that want to win," Cook said. "They have different ability levels, but all are pretty good at sticking to the training."

"It's a very time-demanding sport," she added. "But we have a large family backing. We couldn't do it without our parents."

Vacaville High School sophomore Garrett Parker started mountain biking for recreational reasons, but he wanted more. Parker said he started to look into creating a team and was connected to English who had already started the Vacaville Dirt Dogs. He placed ninth in the state for sophomore boys this year.

"I definitely think it's not for everyone," he admitted. "I enjoy the rush. It's a different kind of fun."

"You get away from it all," he continued. "You can only focus on your bike or you'll fall."

Andrew Bidou, a freshman, said riding his bike is a stress reliever of sorts.

"It's an adrenaline rush," he said. "The races are hard, but after a race you feel great because you left it all out there."

Kaylee Schlegel, who started last February, finished this season sitting in seventh place for junior varsity girls.

"It's amazing to see the progress," she said. "The main thing is to go out and have fun. I like to keep pushing myself."

She said it's her personal drive and focus that help her overcome those temporary challenges.

"I know I am capable," Schlegel said. "There is nothing like the feeling you get when you accomplish that goal."

English said he's used his experience of racing mountain bikes for 20 years to train the team, the coaching aspect has been quite the learning experience.

"I've never had to tell someone how to race a mountain bike," he said. "I have the racing experience, now I'm crafting my coaching skills."

He said the popularity of the sport with teenagers is growing.

"It's a sport that's cool," he said. "It's the total experience and something you can take with you as an adult."

The coaches' first teach proper technique and safety, including proper body positioning, proper climb and descent, followed by distance and then intensity.

Although the Vacaville Dirt Dogs are a relatively new team, only two years old, English said the small team stands above bigger teams with more money because they've "learned to be good bike handlers."

He said the team has learned to be well rounded riders that are dedicated to training.

"We coach them two days each week, but it requires a lot more," he said.

This weekend at least half of the team is participating in the Rock Hopper Classic at Lagoon Valley, the very course where they train.

"It's very challenging," English said. "The grades are really steep. Most courses aren't like that, it's very unique."

Those competing choose between races of one lap, two laps or three laps. Each lap is 9.5 miles. There is also a super descend, where bicyclists race as fast as they can downhill.